Severe rip current risk warning issued for Brunswick County

Published: Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 11:56 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 7:55 p.m.

Entering the dangerous water Wednesday afternoon at Sunset Beach, Judge Mitchell McLean tried to save the life of a stranger caught in the grips of a rip current.

He lost his own life in the process.

Maryann Galway, 55, the swimmer McLean was trying to rescue with the help of her husband, also died, WWAY NewsChannel 3 reported on its website late Wednesday.

McLean, 54, the chief district court judge for the 23rd Judicial District of North Carolina near Wilkesboro, died at Sunset Beach on Wednesday, according to Sunset Beach Police Chief Lisa Massey.

The deaths of McLean and Galway were among three attributed to rip currents at Brunswick County beaches throughout the day.

The judge, a 15-year public servant, was on vacation with his wife and children, and received constant CPR from the beach to Brunswick Novant Medical Center, but could not be resuscitated, Massey said.

McLean was one of three people pulled from the water Wednesday at Sunset Beach.

“Upon arrival, two of those individuals were in cardiac arrest on the shore,” said Brunswick County Emergency Management Director Anthony Marzano. “The other was unconscious and unresponsive.”

Maryann and Edward John Galway III, 59, of Waxhaw, were the other two rip current victims from Sunset Beach. Maryann Galway was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, WWAY reported.

Edward Galway was released from Seacoast Medical Center in South Carolina, Massey said.

A second rip current-related death was reported earlier in the day at Ocean Isle Beach.

Seventy-two-year-old William Nicolaro of Palm Harbor, Fla., was pronounced dead on arrival at Brunswick Novant Medical Center, Marzano said. Nicolaro went under the surf in the Atlantic Ocean off Ocean Isle Beach, officials said.

Rescuers were called out to the 100 block of East First Street in Ocean Isle just after 11:30 a.m. for a report of swimmers in distress, according to the Ocean Isle Beach Police Department.

When rescuers arrived on the scene, one man, Nicolaro's adult son, had made it to shore, but his father was missing, Marzano said.

Nicolaro's son was hospitalized but is alive, Marzano said.

“The son stated that there was a rip current, apparently some changing currents, and they got into trouble,” Marzano said.

A short time later, rescuers found Nicolaro and attempted to resuscitate him before he was taken to the hospital.

Marzano said Nicolaro was with his family on vacation. The family had all gone to the beach together.

Following these incidents, the National Weather Service issued a severe rip current warning for Brunswick County beaches for the rest of Wednesday.

Rip currents are strong channels of water, generally hard for the untrained eye to spot. They flow seaward from the shore. Panicked swimmers often drown from exhaustion as they try to fight the currents carrying them out to sea.

When conditions are favorable for rip currents, individuals should swim at beaches with lifeguards, said Brad Reinhart, weather service meteorologist in Wilmington.

None of the beaches in Brunswick County are regularly staffed by lifeguards, Marzano said.

The risk of rips on Brunswick and New Hanover county beaches has been moderate for at least the past week, according to weather service data.

If caught in a rip current, people should let the water carry them out to sea while trying to swim parallel to shore, as the currents are usually narrow and funnel through breaks in sandbars.

“Rip currents are fairly common at our beaches,” Reinhart said. “Even on days when we have a low risk of rip currents you can see individual ones that might be powerful enough to pull a child or someone that's not a strong swimmer. Any swimmer should be aware of the threat and know how to effectively escape it.”

Wednesday's drownings were the fourth and fifth in the Wilmington area this summer, after similar incidents at Holden Beach, Oak Island and Topsail Beach earlier this year. Wednesday's drownings were the first attributed to rip currents.

The weather service warned the likelihood of rip currents remains moderate for the Fourth of July holiday on Thursday.

Though he expressed grief over the loss of life, Brunswick County Commissioner Marty Cooke did not express support for reacting to the deaths by encouraging municipalities to hire lifeguards or put up signs warning swimmers of the dangers of rip currents.

It is up to each municipality to decide if they will have lifeguards on their beaches.

The mayors of Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach could not be reached Wednesday night for comment on why their municipalities do not have lifeguards.

“It grieves me because one person that died was a friend of a friend. ... (But) I do not know that putting up lifeguards would make a difference,” Cooke said. “I would like to see a conversation, a dialogue go on between the different municipalities to say, ‘Is there a way to update folks that come down here as to the hazards?' ”

<p>Entering the dangerous water Wednesday afternoon at Sunset Beach, Judge Mitchell McLean tried to save the life of a stranger caught in the grips of a rip current. </p><p>He lost his own life in the process. </p><p>Maryann Galway, 55, the swimmer McLean was trying to rescue with the help of her husband, also died, WWAY NewsChannel 3 reported on its website late Wednesday.</p><p>McLean, 54, the chief district court judge for the 23rd Judicial District of North Carolina near Wilkesboro, died at Sunset Beach on Wednesday, according to Sunset Beach Police Chief Lisa Massey.</p><p>The deaths of McLean and Galway were among three attributed to rip currents at Brunswick County beaches throughout the day. </p><p>The judge, a 15-year public servant, was on vacation with his wife and children, and received constant CPR from the beach to Brunswick Novant Medical Center, but could not be resuscitated, Massey said. </p><p>McLean was one of three people pulled from the water Wednesday at Sunset Beach.</p><p>“Upon arrival, two of those individuals were in cardiac arrest on the shore,” said Brunswick County Emergency Management Director Anthony Marzano. “The other was unconscious and unresponsive.”</p><p>Maryann and Edward John Galway III, 59, of Waxhaw, were the other two rip current victims from Sunset Beach. Maryann Galway was airlifted to <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9969"><b>New Hanover Regional Medical Center</b></a>, where she was pronounced dead, WWAY reported. </p><p>Edward Galway was released from Seacoast Medical Center in South Carolina, Massey said. </p><p>A second rip current-related death was reported earlier in the day at Ocean Isle Beach. </p><p>Seventy-two-year-old William Nicolaro of Palm Harbor, Fla., was pronounced dead on arrival at Brunswick Novant Medical Center, Marzano said. Nicolaro went under the surf in the Atlantic Ocean off Ocean Isle Beach, officials said. </p><p>Rescuers were called out to the 100 block of East First Street in Ocean Isle just after 11:30 a.m. for a report of swimmers in distress, according to the Ocean Isle Beach Police Department.</p><p>When rescuers arrived on the scene, one man, Nicolaro's adult son, had made it to shore, but his father was missing, Marzano said. </p><p>Nicolaro's son was hospitalized but is alive, Marzano said. </p><p>“The son stated that there was a rip current, apparently some changing currents, and they got into trouble,” Marzano said. </p><p>A short time later, rescuers found Nicolaro and attempted to resuscitate him before he was taken to the hospital. </p><p>Marzano said Nicolaro was with his family on vacation. The family had all gone to the beach together. </p><p>Following these incidents, the National Weather Service issued a severe rip current warning for Brunswick County beaches for the rest of Wednesday. </p><p>Rip currents are strong channels of water, generally hard for the untrained eye to spot. They flow seaward from the shore. Panicked swimmers often drown from exhaustion as they try to fight the currents carrying them out to sea.</p><p>When conditions are favorable for rip currents, individuals should swim at beaches with lifeguards, said Brad Reinhart, weather service meteorologist in Wilmington.</p><p>None of the beaches in Brunswick County are regularly staffed by lifeguards, Marzano said. </p><p>The risk of rips on Brunswick and New Hanover county beaches has been moderate for at least the past week, according to weather service data. </p><p>If caught in a rip current, people should let the water carry them out to sea while trying to swim parallel to shore, as the currents are usually narrow and funnel through breaks in sandbars. </p><p>“Rip currents are fairly common at our beaches,” Reinhart said. “Even on days when we have a low risk of rip currents you can see individual ones that might be powerful enough to pull a child or someone that's not a strong swimmer. Any swimmer should be aware of the threat and know how to effectively escape it.”</p><p>Wednesday's drownings were the fourth and fifth in the Wilmington area this summer, after similar incidents at Holden Beach, Oak Island and Topsail Beach earlier this year. Wednesday's drownings were the first attributed to rip currents.</p><p>The weather service warned the likelihood of rip currents remains moderate for the Fourth of July holiday on Thursday. </p><p>Though he expressed grief over the loss of life, Brunswick County Commissioner Marty Cooke did not express support for reacting to the deaths by encouraging municipalities to hire lifeguards or put up signs warning swimmers of the dangers of rip currents. </p><p>It is up to each municipality to decide if they will have lifeguards on their beaches. </p><p>Instead, Cooke suggested the Brunswick Beach Consortium and beach communities discuss ways to make their summer travel hot spots safer. </p><p>The mayors of Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach could not be reached Wednesday night for comment on why their municipalities do not have lifeguards. </p><p>“It grieves me because one person that died was a friend of a friend. ... (But) I do not know that putting up lifeguards would make a difference,” Cooke said. “I would like to see a conversation, a dialogue go on between the different municipalities to say, 'Is there a way to update folks that come down here as to the hazards?' ”</p><p><i>Staff writer F.T. Norton contributed to this story.</i></p>